Business
NSE IPO: Nithin Kamath explains why India has few businesses like this ‘cash generating machine’
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Kamath described NSE as a “cash generation and distribution machine”, noting that the exchange earned more than Rs 10,300 crore in profit in FY26 and distributed about Rs 8,660 crore as dividends, translating into a payout ratio of 84%.
According to Kamath, such generous shareholder payouts are likely to continue even after NSE’s listing because the exchange has limited avenues to deploy its surplus cash. He argued that regulatory restrictions prevent exchanges from investing in other businesses, whether listed or private, leaving dividend distribution as one of the few meaningful uses of excess profits.
Also read: NSE IPO: 10 key things investors need to know about India’s largest IPO in history
The NSE example, he said, raises a broader question: why are there so few businesses that consistently generate large profits and return most of them to shareholders? Kamath’s answer lies in what he calls a tax arbitrage between dividends and capital gains.
He explained that when a company earns Rs 100 in profit, it first pays corporate tax, leaving roughly Rs 75. If that amount is distributed as dividends, shareholders pay tax again at their marginal income-tax rate. For investors in the highest tax bracket, this can significantly reduce the final amount received.
By contrast, if a company retains those earnings and reinvests them into growth, shareholders can potentially benefit through appreciation in the stock price. In such a case, investors pay capital gains tax only when they sell their shares, and at a substantially lower rate than dividend income, Kamath noted.This disparity, he argued, creates a strong incentive for companies to retain earnings and pursue growth rather than distribute profits to shareholders. In his view, that may be one reason why many modern businesses prioritise expansion and reinvestment over profitability and cash returns.
Read more: NSE IPO: BSE hosts double the listed companies but numbers tell a different story
While acknowledging that reinvestment benefits the economy by funding growth, Kamath cautioned that businesses that do not generate meaningful profits can become more vulnerable during downturns. “One bad cycle can kneecap them severely,” he wrote, arguing that long-term resilience often comes from sustainable profitability.
Using NSE as a case study, Kamath also revived the debate around the double taxation of corporate profits — first at the company level and then at the shareholder level through dividend taxation. He pointed to examples of countries that have attempted to reduce this burden and argued that there should not be such a wide gap between the taxation of dividend income and capital gains.
“I think there should not be such a big differential in taxes, on dividend income as compared to capital gain,” Kamath added.
The NSE IPO is entirely an offer-for-sale (OFS) of up to 14.89 crore equity shares with a face value of Re 1 each, representing nearly 6% of NSE’s paid-up equity capital. The issue size has been fixed at 6% of the exchange’s paid-up capital.
NSE’s shares will be listed on BSE, mirroring the arrangement under which BSE‘s own shares are listed on NSE. With NSE’s valuation in the unlisted market hovering around Rs 5 lakh crore, market estimates suggest the IPO could be sized at roughly Rs 30,000 crore.
The filing marks the culmination of a listing process first initiated in December 2016, when NSE filed its first DRHP for a Rs 10,000-crore issue. The process was subsequently stalled due to the co-location controversy.
(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
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Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
The company said the transition marks a significant milestone in strengthening alignment with parent entity BSE Ltd and reinforces its role within the broader BSE ecosystem.
BSECL will continue to provide clearing, settlement and risk management services across the equity, equity derivatives, currency derivatives, debt, commodity, mutual fund, electronic gold receipt (EGR) and securities lending and borrowing (SLB) segments, among others.
The company said it remains committed to ensuring financial market stability, efficient collateral management and the highest standards of regulatory compliance as mandated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
“The transition from ICCL to BSE Clearing Limited reflects our strong alignment with the BSE brand and our role as a trusted pillar of India’s financial market infrastructure. Over the years, we have built robust clearing, settlement, and risk management capabilities that support market integrity and investor confidence,” said Vaisshali Babu, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of BSE Clearing Limited.
“As we embark on this new chapter, we remain steadfast in our commitment to operational excellence and regulatory compliance while supporting the long-term resilience of India’s capital markets,” she added.
According to the release, the rebranding will have no impact on the corporation’s operations, legal obligations, contracts or service commitments towards members, participants and stakeholders.All existing agreements, memberships and regulatory registrations will continue without interruption, the company said.
BSE, Asia’s oldest stock exchange, is also the world’s largest exchange by number of listed companies. Over the years, it has played a key role in the development of India’s capital markets and serves as a major platform for companies raising capital. Its benchmark index, the Sensex, is widely tracked by domestic and global investors as a gauge of Indian equity market performance.
(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
The growing push to restrict Americans from using federal food aid to buy certain processed or sugary products is creating a new challenge for some of the biggest U.S. food and beverage companies.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture as of May had approved food restriction waivers for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in 23 states, affecting roughly one-third of all SNAP participants, according to Numerator. The research firm estimates the restrictions could reduce food and beverage sales by as much as $830 million this year as consumers either shift spending to approved products or cut back overall.
Kroger CEO Greg Foran said on the company’s first-quarter earnings call on Thursday that customers remain under pressure in part due to reduced SNAP benefits, as well as higher gas prices, “squeezing budgets.”
“Customers are managing spend carefully and shopping with real intent,” Foran said.
Most waivers focus on limiting consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and confectionery products, signaling a targeted approach rather than broad food restrictions. As the movement spreads, it’s forcing major packaged food companies to monitor shopper behavior and assess whether they need to remake product lines — though many of them have already been changing what they offer after consumer habits shifted in recent years.
Iowa recently became the first state to codify elements of the “Make America Healthy Again,” or MAHA, movement into law, approving legislation that targets artificial food dyes, ultra-processed foods in school and purchases made through SNAP.
“Altogether, this bill advances the health and wellness for every Iowan today and for generations to come,” said Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds when she signed the measure last month.
She added the law helps “refocus federal food assistance programs on the actual purpose for which they were created: helping low-income families afford nutritious food.”
Attendees are greeted with”Eat Real Food” placards as they gather for U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to announce new nutrition policies at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 8, 2026.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
The law bans several synthetic dyes, including Red 40 and Yellow 5, from most K-12 school meals and vending machines, while also restricting SNAP recipients from using benefits to buy products such as soda and candy.
Navigating the MAHA era
Many food companies aren’t waiting to see how policies evolve.
At a Goldman Sachs conference in May, Hershey said it has researchers in Texas conducting in-store interviews with shoppers who receive SNAP benefits to understand how purchasing behavior is shifting under new restrictions in the state.
“We’ve observed some consumer uncertainty at the register as new restrictions take effect,” a Hershey spokesperson told CNBC. “We anticipate this will improve as store execution improves, rules become clearer, and SNAP users can plan and budget with more certainty.”
The company is studying everything from product substitutions to budget tradeoffs, offering an early glimpse into how major food manufacturers are preparing for a potentially significant shift in consumer demand.
Many of the products most exposed to the changes are produced by some of the largest companies in the industry like Kraft Heinz, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, General Mills, Nestle and others.
J.M. Smucker CEO Mark Smucker, however, told CNBC he expects the SNAP policy changes to have a more muted impact.
“I would say the current environment isn’t really that different than what we’ve seen over time, and thus far some of the modifications have really had no meaningful impact to our business,” he said.
Still, the company’s Hostess products like Twinkies and Donettes — the latter of which saw net sales grow 13% in the latest quarter, according to the company — may be impacted under broader state restrictions on “highly processed snacks.”
Current SNAP waivers in states like Texas focus primarily on candy and sugary drinks, not snack cakes. However, some states have proposed broader definitions that could eventually encompass packaged desserts and sweet baked goods.
At the same time, fewer Americans are even receiving the benefits. One analysis estimates 3.5 million people have lost their SNAP aid since President Donald Trump last year signed a sweeping bill that restricts eligibility for SNAP, among other changes.
Many U.S. households have found it harder to pay for groceries following the changes. The restrictions have also meant fewer dollars flowing to major businesses.
Walmart is particularly exposed to SNAP spending, capturing roughly a quarter of all SNAP grocery dollars nationwide, according to Numerator. Kroger, Costco and Amazon follow at about 8%, 6% and 5%, respectively.
The curbs on what consumers can buy with federal assistance are only one shift food companies are watching.
At a hearing of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions in April, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. went as far as to say he “would support” a ban on junk-food television advertising. The department has not yet taken steps to introduce such a ban.
Responding both to Kennedy’s MAHA initiative and shifting consumer tastes, food manufacturers have also accelerated efforts to reformulate products and reduce synthetic ingredients in products like Kool-Aid, Fanta, Doritos and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, which contain dyes like Red 40 and Yellow 5.
General Mills, Kraft Heinz and Target have all pledged to phase out certain artificial colors and additives by 2027 or sooner.
Nestle announced Monday it achieved its commitment on time to fully eliminate Food, Drug & Cosmetic colors from its U.S. food and beverage portfolio.
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A total of 16 stock market holidays have been scheduled for 2026, out of which nine have already passed.
Following next week’s closure, the next market holiday will fall on Monday, September 14, for Ganesh Chaturthi. In the second half of the year, markets will also remain closed on October 2 for Gandhi Jayanti, October 20 for Dussehra, November 10 for Diwali Balipratipada, November 24 for Guru Nanak Jayanti and December 25 for Christmas, which will be the final market holiday of 2026.
Will MCX be closed?
Meanwhile, Multi Commodity Exchange of India will remain closed during the morning session on June 26 but will resume trading in the evening session. According to MCX’s annual trading calendar, the exchange has 16 trading holidays in 2026, with either partial or full-day closures.
The National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Limited will remain shut for both trading sessions on the same day.
Stock Market Holidays 2026
In 2026, four key holidays fall on weekends and therefore will not lead to additional market closures. These include Mahashivratri on February 15 and Eid-Ul-Fitr on March 21, both of which have already passed, along with Independence Day on August 15 and Diwali Laxmi Pujan on November 8.
Diwali Laxmi Pujan will fall on a Sunday this year, though exchanges will conduct the customary Muhurat Trading session on November 8. The timings for the special one-hour session will be announced closer to the date. Independence Day, meanwhile, falls on a Saturday.
(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
Capita chiefs promised MPs on the Public Accounts Committee it would fix long-running problems with its administration of one of the biggest pension schemes in the country by the end of this month.
Tens of thousands of retired and serving civil servants have been reporting long delays to payments, leading to serious financial hardship to pensioners and their families.
But Money Box has learned the deadline isn’t likely to be met. We speak to the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee about what happens next.
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